Cross-Platform Software Development with a Software Development Peripheral

1. A method, comprising: generating an image of an operating system with a host computing device; communicating the image of the operating system from the host computing device to a software development peripheral; executing the operating system corresponding to the image with the software development peripheral; communicating test information generated by the operating system corresponding to the image from the software development peripheral to the host computing device; and displaying the test information generated by the operating system at the host computing device.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising recognizing a configuration identification of the software development peripheral with a cross-platform development component of the host computing device when the software development peripheral is communicatively linked with the host computing device.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein generating includes generating the image of the operating system with a cross-platform development component of the host computing device.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising recognizing a configuration identification of the software development peripheral with a cross-platform development component of the host computing device, and wherein generating includes generating the image of the operating system with the cross-platform development component, the image of the operating system corresponding to the configuration identification of the software development peripheral.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising debugging the test information generated by the operating system with a cross-platform development component of the host computing device.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising connecting the software development peripheral to a network via a network communication driver of the host computing device, the network communication driver communicatively linked with the network and with a virtual network communication driver of the software development peripheral.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein communicating includes communicating the test information generated by the operating system to the host computing device via a debug transport.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein communicating includes communicating the test information generated by the operating system to the host computing device with a virtual device driver of the software development peripheral.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein communicating includes communicating image data generated by the operating system to a virtual input/output system of the host computing device with a virtual device driver of the software development peripheral.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising receiving a keyboard input wit the software development peripheral from a virtual input/output system of the host computing device, the keyboard input generated with a keyboard connected to the host computing device.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising receiving a pointing device input with the software development peripheral from a virtual input/output system of the host computing device, the pointing device input generated with a pointing device connected to the host computing device.

12. A system, comprising: a host computing device configured to generate an image of an operating system; and a software development peripheral configured to: receive the image of the operating system from the host computing device; execute the operating system corresponding to the image of the operating system; and communicate test information generated by the operating system to the host computing device for display.

13. A system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the host computing device includes a first type of processor to generate the image of the operating system, and wherein the software development peripheral is configured to execute the operating system on a second type of processor, the second type of processor being different than the first type of processor.

14. A system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the host computing device is further configured to recognize the software development peripheral as a plug and play device when the software development peripheral is communicatively linked with the host computing device.

15. A system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the host computing device includes a cross-platform development component configured to recognize a configuration identification of the software development peripheral when the software development peripheral is communicatively linked with the host computing device.

16. A system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the host computing device includes a cross-platform development component configured to generate the image of the operating system.

17. A system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the host computing device includes a cross-platform development component configured to recognize a configuration identification of the software development peripheral when the software development peripheral is communicatively linked with the host computing device, and wherein the cross-platform development component is further configured to generate the image of the operating system corresponding to the configuration identification of the software development peripheral.

18. A system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the host computing device includes a cross-platform development component configured to debug the test information generated by the operating system.

19. A system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the host computing device and the software development peripheral are communicatively linked via a debug transport.

20. A system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the host computing device and the software development peripheral are communicatively linked via a universal serial bus connection.

21. A system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the software development peripheral includes a virtual device driver configured to route the test information generated by the operating system to the host computing device, and wherein the host computing device includes a virtual input/output system configured to receive the test information generated by the operating system.

22. A system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the host computing device includes a virtual input/output system configured to receive the test information generated by the operating system and route the test information to a display device.

23. A system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the software development peripheral is further configured to communicate image data generated by the operating system to the host computing device via a virtual display device driver.

24. A system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the software development peripheral is further configured to communicate image data generated by the operating system to the host computing device via a virtual display device driver, and wherein the host computing device includes a virtual input/output system configured to receive the image data and route the image data to a display device.

25. A system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the software development peripheral is further configured to connect to a network via a network communication driver of the host computing device, the network communication driver communicatively linked with the network and with a virtual network communication driver of the software development peripheral.

26. A system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the host computing device includes a virtual input/output system configured to route a keyboard input to the software development peripheral.

27. A system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the host computing device includes a virtual input/output system configured to route a pointing device input to the software development peripheral.